Ricky Ponting has identified key Australian players who must perform in the semifinal against India in Dubai. He believes that experienced players should take charge in such a crucial match.
Ponting highlighted Travis Head, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Josh Inglis as the batters who need to step up. He emphasised that these players hold the responsibility to score big and handle pressure in this high-stakes encounter.
Head and Smith, in particular, have impressive records against India and can produce match-winning performances. Ponting recalled how Head played a key role in the 2023 World Cup final.
“Probably a little bit different to the World Cup final. I know Travis did what he did but the bowlers did a great job in that as well. Cummins did a great job with his spell. Adam Zampa is another one. If in the middle overs he can make an impact for Australia, then he’ll silence the crowd too,” Ponting said during an interaction with ICC.
Interestingly, Ponting spoke to Sanjana Ganesan, Jasprit Bumrah’s wife, during the ICC interaction.
Travis Head scored a 120-ball 137 against India in the ODI World Cup 2023 final to defeat the Men in Blue by 6 wickets. Rohit Sharma’s men were undefeated in the entire tournament before the final.
Australia’s batting has been strong, but their bowling attack is weakened due to the absence of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins. This makes the role of senior players even more significant. Ponting urged them to step up, as the team cannot rely on Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, or Spencer Johnson to handle the pressure.
Senior players must take charge
Ponting believes Australia’s senior players must take charge to give the team a chance against a strong Indian side.
“it’s got to be Head, it’s got to be Smith, it’s got to be Zampa. You can’t rely on Dwarshuis, Ellis, Johnson. It has to be the big boys to stand up,” he said.
Ponting also named Josh Inglis and Glenn Maxwell as potential game-changers. Inglis impressed earlier in the tournament with a brilliant hundred while Maxwell’s aggressive approach could be vital in a high-scoring game. He also stressed that Adam Zampa could play a decisive role in the middle overs, just as he did in the World Cup final.
